Legacy Tree Planting 2024

October 08, 2024 | Campus, Boys’ College, Girls’ College

On Thursday, 3 October, as part of their farewell celebrations and traditions, our 2024 Matric students from both the Boys' and Girls' Colleges came together to plant 51 trees in a heart-warming joint ceremony, allowing their legacy to take root at our school. This cherished tradition enables our students to give back in a way that future Saints generations will enjoy for years to come.

Trees hold both a physical and symbolic presence on our Campus, most notably represented in the stained-glass windows of the Chapel. These windows, with their vibrant fragments radiating from a single sphere, symbolize the parable of the mustard seed: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

As part of the ceremony, our Matrics were left with an adapted South African blessing created for them by Mr Courtney Watson, our Head of English at the Boys' College and a passionate environmental advocate.

He shared this heartfelt message with the students:
“Our wish for our Matrics, as these trees take root and grow, may your footsteps leave a lasting impression in the soft sands of time: May your footprints swell deep in soft sand, May the wind breathe your migrations home. May bushveld sunrises delight your days; Thunderstorms bring life to your thirst. And until we meet again, May God's smile be reflected on your face.”

We thank all the Matric Class and their families who participated in this meaningful Legacy Tree Ceremony and are grateful to the many people who work in the background to ensure that this day is the success that it is.

Special thanks go to Mrs Elana Shaw and Mr Courtney Watson for overseeing the event, the purchasing of trees, and the logistics. For the 51 holes that needed to be dug, special thanks must go to Jantjies Masimula and his team of Joseph Loeto, Thabiso Thane, Thabang Lekwadu, Phale Phale, Gaurute Ntswane, Jaffrey Maake and Cassius Mathye. They ready the ground and assist our students with the planting across a myriad of locations across the campus. This is the biggest uptake of trees to date, and hence the need to diversify locations.

The images captured by our official photographer, Debbi Adcock can be downloaded here

We take pleasure in sharing the video of this special day.